Best fighter in our lifetime?

[RudeKong]

[kusok]

Prime Fedor 2002-2005


No contest. Anyone who doesn't already know this needs to brush up on history and knowledge of unarmed combat.
This was a pioneer of MMA, prototype of modern MMA fighter, well-rounded game planner who was good at all aspects of combat.





In his prime Fedor, who is hardly bigger than Anderson (before Anderson's weight cut) fought top HWs, 10 of his opponents in his prime were top 10 in the world at the time, and he smashed them all. A small heavyweight he defied the odds and fought bigger people, something that Anderson avoids doing (remember Anderson walks at 215-225 lbs)

Tyson and Ali were incredible, but they were not fighters, they were boxers. Fedor would obviously lose to them under boxing rules, but would easily win in any more realistic fight setting.

In his prime Fedor would take Anderson down just like Sonnen did, but Fedor would maul him for an easy win.
Today there is no doubt that Anderson is the best. GSP is amazing as well. But Fedor was the pioneer, the enigma.

[Safin]

Lewis (much like the Klitschko's) got lucky with a terribly weak generation of heavyweight boxers, lets be cereal here for a moment. If you look at boxing in the 60ies, 70ies and 80ies ... guys like Frazier, Ali, Foreman, etc., no comparison. And as another guy already posted, if Tyson didn't go to jail, he may have lived up to his potential, which is a scary thought.

Lewis boxed in the same "terribly weak generation" that Tyson boxed in. The difference is that Lewis was able to get the better of both Holyfield and Tyson.

The Tyson jail thing is plausible to a certain extent, there'd have been little difference in the quality of opposition to add to his resume. He might have fought Holyfield sooner but that's about it. Holyfield was a poor match up for Tyson anyway. Holyfield can fight inside and has great defensive ability to frustrate Tyson.

The only reason why the misc rides Tyson is because of his style and because he's good for a highlight reel on youtube as well as his controversial personality.

[mfitty9000]

The GOAT



RIP PRIDEFC

Anderson is amazing, but come back when he's dominated for a full decade. He's approaching Fedor status, but he's not there yet..gotta keep puttin that work in. Eventually Anderson will lose and it will be amazing how fast his fans drop..I've seen it happen to Fedor. All of Andersons accomplishments will be immediately trivialized the second he loses, and God forbid he loses 2-3 times after dominating for 10+ years. Haters are fuking ridiculous. Fedor was/is the GOAT MMA fighter to walk this earth.

[OnfiyA]

tyson, cain velasquez

Think Cain being on that list is a bit too early JDS will be a good match though

[ArcticDog]

Eventually Anderson will lose and it will be amazing how fast his fans drop..I've seen it happen to Fedor.

Brah - my favorite fighter is CroCop, regardless of the almost heartbreaking autumn of his career. Real fans stick with their fighters - the reason why I prefer Anderson over Fedor is probably because CC never got the 2nd chance with the last emperor and he did amazingly well in their first and only fight until he got caught.

U mad I am stylin on you with this t-shirt during my workouts?





RIP PRIDEFC, RIP Crazy shrieking Lady introducing Fighters

[adoniscomplex]

i think it depends on how we define martial artist
like obv in vale tudo fight anderson beats teveryone p4p

but if we are just talking for there respective combat sports
itd be anderson , tyson , winner of pbf/pacman , Alexander Karelin

[mfitty9000]

nah I have huge respect for CroCop as well, hes one of my favorites of all time. Lots of guys from that generation of Pride were legends. Fedor rose above them all, but guys like Crocop, Wanderlei, so many others. It was the greatest time for MMA, I can hardly watch this new stuff anymore except a few good Anderson fights.

And I stick with my fighters too, but you see their mass popularity plummet the second they lose..makes me sick. I mean the fact people are even doubting Fedor as the GOAT becaues of a few recent losses, even after a decade of utter dominance against the best in the world makes me rage.

Its sad to me how many fighters finish their careers, washed up with a bunch of losses to younger guys. More guys should go out on top but I guess its the fighter spirit to make them keep going into their late 30s and 40s, they lose conditioning start getting knocked out left right and center. They almost never retire young at the peak of their career and go out on top. Makes me heartbroken to watch Crocop get knocked out with a high kick or Fedor knock a guy over with a punch then get caught in an armbar.

[GhostZ28]

lol WAT

You cannot really think that Fedor would or should be at the top of any list. Let's assume he was the best in the world at the time...take a look at his opponents. You tell me the last person he fought who should have been in the top tier of heavyweights facing 'the best'. I'll wait....here's a hint, check back to 2003. Sure you could argue Randleman....I'd take that too.

After that his list, minus a couple, is a who's who list of cans or well past their primes. I'm not saying this because he wasn't in the UFC and the UFC is and was the best blah blah. I was a HUGE Pride fan....absolutely loved it. But really....take a step back and take a look at who he fought. Do you think any of those people were any less than 6:1 underdogs? Were any of them worthy of fighting to be the best fighter in the world?

Now one could argue that at 32 years of age, it was starting to effect him and he kept losing because of that. Well one could also argue that once he faced a UFC washout (and I don't mean that in a bad way...he was just washed out of the UFC) that is a good fighter...he loses. Ok ok...it was a fluke. New environment for Fedor, maybe not used to some changes but it won't happen again.

Along comes another good fighter...well he turns your face into hamburger. Well, he'll come back. Fedor just wasn't himself. Here's comes another...let's fight a getting old natural 185er, he has to win. Sorry, that's a third strike.

Look, I don't blame it on Fedor. That dude seems to me to be a professional. He doesn't really talk ****, he trains hard and when he has a fight he always comes to fight. Most things a fighter should be. But here's his management in the background building a name, building that product. The better he does, the much better they do....so set him up with opponents who really wouldn't be the hardest fight. Pretty much a slam dunk win. We have to throw a couple legitimate names in there every once in a while but for the most part it's just padding the record.

Well once UFC starts to crowd the market and narrows down the competition, that means you're going to have to start fighting some relevant names. It ended up catching up with them.

I'm not taking anything away from Fedor as a fighter. The dude is a monster and just scary as **** to be on the other side of the cage. But, when put to some tests, the truth comes out in the wash.

[GhostZ28]

Now compare the level of competition Anderson has faced. See how many relevant, top tier fighters he's faced.

Can you really think Fedor should be on the level of Anderson?

[GriPz]

in on this thread!

Tyson is the best boxer i have ever seen. His movement at HW
Prime RJJ is a freak of nature
FLoyd May is also a beast

Anderson Silva does things in title fights that are just legendary i mean front kick to the face?
Finishes everyone, and has the most exciting fights.

Roger Gracie anyone?

But we can not forget PHIL BARONI - The best eva
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHvsqtUKsiM

[Fedor1]

heavy underdog coming in against nogueira

[Uncle-Phil]

Clearly the Undertaker.

I'd like to see Anderson Silva get up from a Tombstone piledriver.

[proppus]

You cannot really think that Fedor would or should be at the top of any list. Let's assume he was the best in the world at the time...take a look at his opponents. You tell me the last person he fought who should have been in the top tier of heavyweights facing 'the best'. I'll wait....here's a hint, check back to 2003. Sure you could argue Randleman....I'd take that too.

what about nogueira, crocop, and arlovski?

[kusok]

You cannot really think that Fedor would or should be at the top of any list. Let's assume he was the best in the world at the time...take a look at his opponents. You tell me the last person he fought who should have been in the top tier of heavyweights facing 'the best'. I'll wait....here's a hint, check back to 2003. Sure you could argue Randleman....I'd take that too.

Stopped reading there ^^^

You need to brush up on your MMA history before you post silliness like this. At the time of the fight with Fedor during his prime 10 of his opponents were top 10, some top 3, #1 and top 2. And he beat them all, no other fighter in any weight class in MMA history can make this claim. Check history of rankings thread on Sherdog if you don't believe me.

Some examples:
At the time of the fight with Fedor:
Hunt #9
Nog #1
Nog 2 #2
Nog 3 #2
Crocop #2
Schilt #10
Coleman #9
Herring #4
AA #2
etc.

[ace_gauntlit]

8 Titles in 8 different weight classes. bow down *******s

[andy2020]

Also:

[GhostZ28]

what about nogueira, crocop, and arlovski?

First line of next paragraph.

After that his list, minus a couple

Do I really need to spell out who are and aren't the cans? I think reasonable people know who the good fighters were back then.

[kusok]

^^^ It says fighter, not boxer.

[andy2020]

Clearly the Undertaker.

I'd like to see Anderson Silva get up from a Tombstone piledriver.

Some of these guys are no joke either (srs).

[andy2020]

^^^ It says fighter, not boxer.

I know. But when they posted boxers, well, I said I might as well too, lol.

[melon247]

So many posts yet no reference to this guy. Made one of the previous "GOATs" aka Shogun Rua look like a ****ing joke, and the kids only a rookie.

[OnfiyA]

Also:

I'm quite ignorant to boxing, but how does Floyd Mayweather compare ?

[GhostZ28]

Hunt #9
Nog #1
Nog 2 #2
Nog 3 #2
Crocop #2
Schilt #10
Coleman #9
Herring #4
AA #2
etc.

I think you need to brush up on your history instead of spouting numbers that someone else looked up and posted before you. Hunt....#9 is something to brag about and face the #1? AA ranked #2....really. You really think, at the time of the fight, Arlovski was the 2nd best heavyweight in the world? Are you nuts? Herring...top 4? Laughable. Love Semmy and Hunt and I'm not going to talk **** but come on. Two phenomenal kickboxers anywhere in the top tier MMA fighters?

[Limerick91]

I'm quite ignorant to boxing, but how does Floyd Mayweather compare ?

Well he beat the Big Show so he can't be that bad.

[kusok]

So many posts yet no reference to this guy. Made one of the previous "GOATs" aka Shogun Rua look like a ****ing joke, and the kids only a rookie.

You are confusing current and our life time.

You also confuse fighters' prime and decline years. It's like asking who would win Jon Jones on Shogun in 2003... Jones was like 15 years old then... Shogun would kill him then worse than Jones killed him now.

[GhostZ28]

I'm quite ignorant to boxing, but how does Floyd Mayweather compare ?

Mayweather has been ducking him like crazy. You can't even describe how amazing it is to watch Pacquiao fight.

[ace_gauntlit]

I'm quite ignorant to boxing, but how does Floyd Mayweather compare ?

Fraud Chickenweather ****s his pants whenever Pacman's name is mentioned and avoids him at all cost. srs.

plus Manny actually fight the best opponents out there while they are still in their prime. Fraud only fights scrubs or old bums who are past their prime

Listen to this. greatest interview of all time:

[nitro_gif]

This.

[neobjj]

OP, did u know pretty much everything Silva does Roy Jones JR can do better?